A:
There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable
and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You
can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green
Guru's secret identity.

Monday - October 31, 2011

QUESTION:

The fire took 2/3 of the trees on my half acre in Bastrop County. It was mostly wild. What do I plant for ground cover? Do I plant native grass seed in fall? I want to keep it native as possible. Thank you.

ANSWER:

Native American Seed in Junction has developed a special mix of native grasses and wildflowers called Southeast Recovery Mix to help restore the land in Bastrop County. The time to sow these seeds is now—in the fall. They also have two excellent sets of instructions—"How to Grow Native Wildflowers" and "How to Grow Native Seeds"—to help you prepare the soil and sow the seeds. On our webpage I recommend that you read our How-to-Arcticle, "Meadow Gardening." It explains why, when creating a meadow, you want both wildflowers and native grasses. You might also find "Getting Started" useful.

If, however, you would rather just plant grasses, here a several that will do well in your area:

Finally, you might contact Healing Hands, Healing Lands, a project begun by the Austin, Williamson County and Bastrop chapters of Native Plant Society; the Williamson, Travis, Bastrop and Hays County chapters of the Master Naturalists; the Travis and Hays County chapters of the Master Gardeners; Habitat Stewards of Austin; the Taylor Garden Club and the Crown Garden Glub of Rockdale. They are preparing native seed balls for distribution to "aid and accelerate healing of the ecosystems...in the areas of Central Texas recently damaged by wildfires."

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